Rooting

"Uncle Yu, I, I didn't mean it like that."

Tiezhu, having come to his senses, spoke with a slight tremor, glancing around guiltily.

His aptitude was average. At thirty-three, he was at Fetal Movement Minor Accomplishment, but this was the norm for ordinary people.

Even with opportunities laid out, not everyone could grasp them. Many ordinary people struggled to even reach Fetal Movement.

Someone like Yu Dashan, at twenty-two, had achieved Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment and undergone Blood Change once. He was considered remarkable even within the Settlement.

It was precisely for this reason that Old Man Yu held a sliver of hope for him.

"Alright, we're all family here. I know you didn't mean it, but you must control your mouth from now on and think more about your family."

Old Man Yu said with earnest advice.

"Uncle Yu, I remember. Is it just you staying behind this time, or...?"

Tiezhu nodded vigorously.

"Just me staying behind. My three brothers are entering the Blessed Land."

Old Man Yu said.

"Uncle Yu, why don't our two families pool our resources? We can look out for each other then."

Tiezhu said.

He knew that Old Man Yu had achieved Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment. Even though he appeared old, when it came to actual combat, Tiezhu was no match for him.

"What's your family's situation? Are you staying behind, or...?"

Old Man Yu didn't answer directly but instead asked.

Hearing his words, Tiezhu's expression fell. "My family can only afford the Spirit Stones for my wife and two children this time. My mother and I will stay behind. If I had known the Blessed Land quota would increase in price, I should have forged more iron. It's my fault."

By the end, his face was filled with regret, his eyes slightly moist.

Besides farming, he also possessed decent blacksmithing skills. He often forged ironware at home in the evenings to sell, otherwise, he might not have even been able to afford three quotas.

His father had died early, leaving only his old mother at home.

If possible, he would have preferred his mother to enter the Blessed Land, but there was no choice.

The two children were still young and couldn't be left alone. When they had discussed it earlier, his mother had been the first to declare she would stay home, threatening to kill herself if he didn't listen.

His wife had also told him to take the children into the Blessed Land.

If something were to happen to her, he could still take care of the child in the future.

After all, he was the pillar of the family, capable of blacksmithing and farming.

But how could he, Tiezhu, a grown man, abandon his old mother and wife, leaving two women to wait for death at home?

In the end, with his insistence, his wife took the child into the Blessed Land, while he and his mother stayed behind.

He knew very well that his old mother would surely not survive this Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, and he just wanted to fulfill his last filial duty.

"Alright, no one expected the price of Blessed Land quotas to increase this time, and it's not your fault. While there's still some time, carry more stones to build up the wall and dig the cellar deeper.

I won't join you. The more people there are, the easier it is for those insects to sense us, and then no one will be able to escape.

As for other things, we'll talk about them properly later."

Old Man Yu patted Tiezhu's shoulder.

If he hadn't discovered the Rare Species in his home, perhaps out of sympathy and mutual aid, he would have considered joining Tiezhu.

But it concerned the future of his Yu Family and the lives of his entire family, leaving no room for him to be soft-hearted.

"Mhm, I understand. My family has also forged two Spears. I'll give you one later for self-defense."

Although Tiezhu was a bit disappointed, he didn't say much.

After all, what the other party said made sense.

"That's good, I won't be polite then."

Old Man Yu agreed.

After Tiezhu carried the stones away, Old Man Yu and the other two also began to select suitable stones to put in their baskets.

Yu Dashan, with his head down, put all his strength into wrestling with the stones.

Yu Ershan was slightly out of breath, but his expression seemed somewhat relieved.

Old Man Yu, on the other hand, was preoccupied with how to build the surrounding wall higher and sturdier to protect that Rare Species.

Basket after basket of stones were carried home and piled outside the surrounding wall.

This half-height wall was originally just for show; no one had expected it to provide any protection before. Moreover, a lower wall allowed a direct view of the Spirit Field from the courtyard.

But now, everything was different.

At noon, a man who looked slightly younger than Old Man Yu came to visit. Yu Dashan directly addressed him as Uncle Zhao.

"My family can still spare three Spirit Stones. How many are you short?"

The other party didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Not enough by a lot. If you have Spirit Stones with nowhere to spend them, give me more."

Old Man Yu said with a smile.

"What time is it, and you're still joking?"

Zhao Kun said, panting heavily.

"You know it's not the right time?

If you squeeze out Spirit Stones for me, will your family still get by next year?

And Jiadong, he's almost due for Blood Change, right?

If you buy him a Blood Replenishing Pill, it can save him at least a year."

Old Man Yu said seriously.

"You don't need to manage my family's affairs. Here are three Spirit Stones."

Zhao Kun directly took out three Spirit Stones, threw them down, and turned to leave.

Old Man Yu didn't chase after him. He just stared blankly at the three Spirit Stones on the ground.

"Dad, Uncle Zhao also meant well. With these three Spirit Stones, our family is only short two Spirit Stones."

Yu Dashan stepped forward and said.

Ten mu of Spirit Field, after deducting rent, could yield fifty Spirit Stones. Adding the five Spirit Stones the family had saved, and these three, they were only short two, weren't they?

As for what they would eat next year, or what medicine to get for his second brother, those weren't the most urgent things in his opinion.

The most important thing right now was to gather enough Spirit Stones and enter the blessed land.

Only by surviving would they be qualified to talk about next year.

"Stop talking. Later, you take these three Spirit Stones back to Uncle Zhao. His family isn't well off either, and it's difficult for him to remember such a small matter for so many years.

Moreover, even if our family had enough Spirit Stones now, I wouldn't plan to leave."

Old Man Yu squatted down, picked up the three Spirit Stones, wiped them on his clothes, and then placed them in Yu Dashan's hand.

"Dad!"

Yu Dashan shouted loudly.

"That's how it is. If you still recognize me as your father, then listen to me. You'll understand later."

Old Man Yu shook his head, still not explaining, and turned to leave.

The Elm Tree in the corner swayed in the wind. Yu An silently watched it all, gaining a deeper understanding of Old Man Yu's character.

For the next few days, Yu An focused on his cultivation while observing the Yu Family.

He understood Old Man Yu's eagerness to reinforce the walls, coupled with the Netherworld Crisis, which led him to choose to deepen his roots into the earth rather than grow branches and leaves.

Therefore, even though he could clearly sense himself growing stronger and his vitality becoming more vigorous in these past few days, due to his choice, his outward appearance hadn't changed much. He even deliberately restrained his vitality during the day, trying not to appear too energetic.

Only at night, when all was quiet, would he cultivate with his full effort.

The only thing that made him uncomfortable was the frequent appearance of a peeper by his side at night, constantly watching him with shifty eyes.